Energy
Saudi Arabia Launches Third Round of National Renewables Programme, Targets 1.2GW Generation
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy kicked off the third round of Kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) and is seeking bidders on new projects with a total generation capacity of 1.2GW.
10 Jan 2020
GCC Sovereigns Could Face Challenging 2020 As They Shift Further into Uncharted Geopolitical Territory
Following a year marked by numerous tanker incidents in the Straits of Hormuz and a brazen attack on Saudi Aramco’s oil infrastructure, a recent escalation in geopolitical tensions between the US, Iran and Iraq could start to reverse the strong technicals-driven performance increase seen amongst GCC sovereign credit in 2019, according to analysts at Standard Chartered.
8 Jan 2020
Oil Touches USD70 Per Barrel as Geopolitical Tensions Flare but Beyond Spot Prices, Market Reaction Remains Subdued
Brent crude prices reached within touching distance of USD70 per barrel following the US assassination of a high-ranking Iranian general in Bagdad last week, but looking beyond spot prices, the reaction of oil markets has been relatively subdued, according to Emirates NBD’s Edward Bell.
6 Jan 2020
GCC Projects Benefit as Costs Drop, Liquidity Improves – But Bond Financing Still “Long Way Off”
Three years after Abu Dhabi’s recently completed 1.17GW Sweihan photovoltaic (PV) plant attracted what were at the time record-low tariffs, GCC-focused project developers continue to break new barriers as tried and tested PPA and project funding structures begin to crystallise and the cost of funding drops.
13 Dec 2019
The Contradiction at the Heart of the Aramco IPO
The Saudi government does not see a viable, long-term future in oil and gas but continues to hope that investors will measure the country's crown jewel, Saudi Aramco, differently, argues Robert Mogielnicki of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
29 Nov 2019
CASE STUDY: DTEK Renewables Prints Ukraine’s First Green Bond
The renewable energy firm blazes a trail in its home market with a EUR325mn transaction that draws in strong participation from ESG-focused investors across Europe and the UK.
27 Nov 2019
Kenya: Capacity Building Vital to Local Investment in Energy & Infrastructure
Kenya currently faces an infrastructure financing gap of USD4bn, according to data from the World Bank, with the government’s recent borrowing spree unlikely to plug it. Bonds & Loans hosted an exclusive breakfast roundtable discussion with bankers, developers, and investors to explore the bottlenecks preventing local institutions from investing Kenyan money in Kenyan projects.
6 Nov 2019
SOCAR Finance GM Pursues Trade Finance Alternatives Following STAR Refinery Launch
SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state oil and gas company, currently bears the mantle of the largest foreign direct investor in Turkey. The opening of SOCAR’s USD6.3bn STAR Refinery in October 2018 marked one of many major projects in the country. Bonds & Loans spoke with Elchin Ibadov, Finance and IT Deputy General Manager, about SOCAR’s bid to create a centralised treasury function, fostering operational…
24 Oct 2019
Grupo Argos CFO on Sector Strategy, Picking Relationship Banks, and Sustainability
Grupo Argos S.A is a Colombian conglomerate with large investments in the cement and energy industries, with operations in the United States, Panamá, Honduras and the Caribbean, and assets in various sectors from transport to real estate. The Group’s CFO Alejandro Piedrahita spoke with Bonds & Loans to discuss the group’s major businesses, the company’s bold new bid to build a new logistics hub…
15 Oct 2019
Brown Brothers Harriman: Emerging Markets Preview for the Week Ahead
EM benefited greatly from the improvement in US-China trade relations and quite possibly Brexit. The dollar is likely to remain under some pressure near-term as a result. Yet we must caution investors against getting too optimistic. The details of the partial trade deal still need to be worked out, while existing tariffs will still remain in place if the deal is signed next month as most expect.…
14 Oct 2019